“Balotelli is a very talented player, he is among the best in the world... when he can be bothered!”

It was a slam aimed at the 24-year-old striker, who infuriated many fans last week with his listless performance against Roma.

In an interview with newspaper QS Rami added another comment on Balotelli’s apparent lack of commitment.

“It’s not easy to talk about Mario, but he is one of the best players in the world and often decisive. Is he fired up? We are professional football players and are always fired up.

“It is our duty to prepare as best as possible, but there’s an even more important thing to put on the field... the joy of being happy to do this for a living.

“The Inter player I fear the most is certainly Rodrigo Palacio. He played against us in the Europa League, when he was at Genoa and I was at Valencia. He is smart, strong, intelligent and moves around so much he doesn’t give you time to think.

“Diego Milito is a symbol for Inter, but I’ve never met him in person. I only played against him in a Playstation game...”